Not very Juicy Brisket


 
M

Mike Carr

New member
This was my first brisket with my new WSM22 and while the flavor was excellent the brisket was kind of dry. Especially the flat. The point was a little more tender and juicy but the flat was downright dry. It tasted good with a little bbq sauce but the dryness was a deal breaker for me.

I smoked this brisket (7lbs) at 230 for about 9 hours before I checked the temp and it read above 180 when I probed. So I took it off, wrapped in foil and put it in a cooler where it sat for several hours. It was finished earlier than I had anticipated so it was in the cooler for about 3 hours.

I'd sure like to know how you vets are getting your brisket to come off tender and juicy. I feel that the combination of smoke wood I used was perfect as the flavor was awesome.

Your expertise would be greatly appreciated.
 
I just recently did a couple briskets. I've come to the conclusion that I've been overcooking them. The flats can be dry -- that's always the litmus test. I would pull off a little earlier next time. Some people have better luck with high heat methods for their briskets. Try this info , and good luck. With experience, yours will improve with experience.
 
The point was a little more tender and juicy but the flat was downright dry.
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I suspect it was underdone. The point should be very tender when the flat is just tender.

was 230* your dome temp? If you were <230* at the grate, then 9 hrs probably wasn't enough time, despite the small size of the brisket.
 
Originally posted by j biesinger:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">The point was a little more tender and juicy but the flat was downright dry.
Click to expand...

I suspect it was underdone. The point should be very tender when the flat is just tender.

was 230* your dome temp? If you were <230* at the grate, then 9 hrs probably wasn't enough time, despite the small size of the brisket. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Agreed. Dry and tough = underdone. Dry and stringy = overdone usually. You'll find the sweet spot eventually. Briskets can be tricky.
 
I'm not a "vet" by any stretch, but as long as my cook meets these criteria (hopefully I won't leave something off), I don't get what I call a dry brisket. Which if any of these criteria are critical? I have no idea. It's just what works for me:

-Choice whole packer of at least 12 lbs.
-Rub in two or three layers, giving time to "sweat" a little between layers, then putting back in fridge a good while before smoking to maximize the smoke ring by letting it get re-chilled.
-Squeeze it on FAT DOWN between the top grate handles ...wedge, fold, whatever to make it fit

...unless you can cut off a decent sized chunk off the point end without getting into the flat. This is an especially good idea if cooking on the bottom rack, but it just depends on the shape/proportion of the brisket whether it's feasible or not. The cut off chunk is layed next to the packer and won't overcook before the flat is done, since it's laden with fat. You'll just end up with more bark, which is a good thing.

-No mopping or spritzing or flipping or messing with it. Leave the dome on.
-Water in the pan
-Let temp settle in 235-250* measured at the vent.
-Cook til tender, checking once the IT gets up to about 175*.
-Don't overcook. If the slices fall apart other than just on the end or the corner, you overcooked and the juice got left in the pan and in the foil. There should be just a little resistance in the thickest part of the flat, like buttuh, as they say, but not as tender as pork shoulder where you can stick it with a fork and twist it. After resting, the meat should be fork tender, as in tender enough to eat off a paper plate without breaking a cheap plastic fork.
-Rest wrapped in foil in a cooler or such for at least a couple of hours. I add a little AJ or somegthing to the foil, too.
-Serve immediately after slicing the flat. (It'll dry out practically before your eyes.) Painting each slice with some sauce thinned out might be the ticket.

Hope this helps. Like I said, it works for me, and I personally like the texture better than HH brisket. I cook overnight so that I'll be able to rest it for a few hours before supper.

Buy some Kosmos or Butchers to inject like the pros if you want it more flavorful and moist.
 
Mike, the only thing to maybe add to Dave's summary is to let it rest in the foil for awhile.I go 2 hours plus. Make sure you cut across the grain. For high Heat cooks I never use water. For that matter ,I don't use water at all just a foiled pan
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I'll second Kosmos. Have been using it for over a year and nary a dry brisky. Secondly I agree that it probably was not cooked long enough. You mention temp when pulled but not how it felt to the probe. Forget the temp and prob till done. I bet most folks don't cook the 1st brisky long enough.

Mark
 
Hi there,

I cannot tell you why your brisket was dry but i may suggest something to you ! The easy thing you can dry is to add some water or juice in the foil when you store the brisket for a few hours before eating it.

The real tricks is based on the Montreal smoke meat technic ! New York is famous for Pastrami, well Montreal is famous for his smoked meat !

The preparation of the smoke meat is quite long but the cooking process is almost similar to what you guys do with brisket. When the brisket is done, they foil it and store it in the refrigerator. When the time to eat come, the brisket is eated using steam, then is it just so good and tender, you have to try it !!

Simply put an inch or two of water in a big pot, put a big stainless stainer in, add the meat and slowly steam the meat for like 20 minutes ! be carefull, the meat must not touche the water !!
 
I'm by no means a brisket pro either. First time I did one I was short on time so I went with a high heat cook. Results were great so I haven't looked back. I have done at least 6 this way and it seems a bit more fool-proof.

While I know the purists might argue this isn't the right way to do it, at the end of the day its all about what works FOR YOU.

I do intend to cook one the traditional method this summer just to test, but don't be afraid to try high heat.
 
Hey Mike,
I just did a high heat and it came out pretty good. What I learned is not to worry so much about the temperature but go by the feel and temp. When it's getting near done the probe should slide in and out with little resistance. when I did mine the temp was around 212 when I took it off and put it in to rest. It's not much but I hope it helps!
 
Thanks for all the advice and tips. Its people like you that make this forum great to come back to.

I'm going to take some of this advice and try again. Practice makes perfect, so they say. I may try a high heat method this weekend.

Thanks again and "Keep on Smokin'! "
 
Brisket is a pretty tricky meat to perfect, but can be rewarding when mastered.

On brisket, I throw out the logic of what is the proper internal temp when its done. Rather, I push the probe tip in, and when it feels buttery smooth, it's good to go.

Additionally, after pulling off the grill, I like to let the brisket rest in an au jus bath to rejuvenate. I use an aluminum half steam pan with au jus (or a french dip sauce) with the meat in the liquid covered with foil in my cambro (or cooler) for at least an hour to re-hydrate. This trick will add a surprising amount of moisture back into the meat.

Just remember the saying...."It's done when it's done" and you will be better off than worrying about the correct internal temp. Let your probe tip tell you when to pull the brisket.
 
Originally posted by Gary H. NJ:
In retrospect, I'd like to throw in my vote with the underdone crowd.
icon_rolleyes.gif
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"Underdone" is very typical when we're talking about little briskets. They're typically not even close to the conventional temp/time estimates, like 1 hr. per lb. at 250* before they get tender....and I think a lot of folks just give up, thinking there's no way such a little piece of meat should take so long... Been there, done that..ONCE.

Adam Perry Lang suggests smoking bigger pieces of meat, and I don't think the smaller briskets are good candidates for bbq, either. I don't let the little 18.5" grate intimidate me in fitting ones on up to about 15 lbs. or so.
 
This trick will add a surprising amount of moisture back into the meat.
Click to expand...

I'm going to have to politely disagree. If this worked it would go against just about everything I know about meat. Your logic suggests that meat cooked in a wet environment should never dry out as long as you allow time for it to re-hydrate. Try boiling meat completely submerged in liquid, I'd be willing to bet it wouldn't be too hard to dry the meat out.

Meat has a small amount of water associated with its proteins. Once the proteins reach a certain temp they are damaged beyond repair, release their hold on this water, and can never be restored. This is why quick cooking cuts like chicken breast or pork loins must be closely monitored so you don't overcook them and end up with dry meat.

Long cooked cuts like ribs, butts, and brisket end up going way past the point of being overcooked. They've lost their internal moisture hours before we take them off the grill. What saves them is the large amounts of connective tissue and fat that slowly breaks down during overcooking. If we can pull the meat off when we've reached a stage of optimal breakdown, the meat will seem moist with gelatin and rendered fat. We can take this too far though, and the meat will be what's referred to as "dry and stringy."

So something like a brisket will go through stages: moist and tough, dry and tough, moist and tender, dry and tender. Pulling the brisket off, either before or after the optimal point, really leaves you with dryness that can't be fixed with more liquid.

Salt rather than liquid is probably a better option. It will assist the proteins and allow them to hold onto their water through higher temps. And salt makes us salivate, which can make something feel moist in your mouth.
 
Hi again,

J biesinger is right, at a certain temp the protein in the meat will contract and sqeeze the moisture out of the muscle, most definitly, this critical temp is always reached when doing brisket and pull pork. What save the day are the connective tissu and fat in the meat !!

But i am telling, try heating your meat with steam, you can go for 1-2 hour if you want. Then, slice really thin (1-2mm max) ... its perfect !
icon_smile.gif
 
Originally posted by j biesinger:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">This trick will add a surprising amount of moisture back into the meat.
Click to expand...

I'm going to have to politely disagree. If this worked it would go against just about everything I know about meat. Your logic suggests that meat cooked in a wet environment should never dry out as long as you allow time for it to re-hydrate. Try boiling meat completely submerged in liquid, I'd be willing to bet it wouldn't be too hard to dry the meat out.

Meat has a small amount of water associated with its proteins. Once the proteins reach a certain temp they are damaged beyond repair, release their hold on this water, and can never be restored. This is why quick cooking cuts like chicken breast or pork loins must be closely monitored so you don't overcook them and end up with dry meat.

Long cooked cuts like ribs, butts, and brisket end up going way past the point of being overcooked. They've lost their internal moisture hours before we take them off the grill. What saves them is the large amounts of connective tissue and fat that slowly breaks down during overcooking. If we can pull the meat off when we've reached a stage of optimal breakdown, the meat will seem moist with gelatin and rendered fat. We can take this too far though, and the meat will be what's referred to as "dry and stringy."

So something like a brisket will go through stages: moist and tough, dry and tough, moist and tender, dry and tender. Pulling the brisket off, either before or after the optimal point, really leaves you with dryness that can't be fixed with more liquid.

Salt rather than liquid is probably a better option. It will assist the proteins and allow them to hold onto their water through higher temps. And salt makes us salivate, which can make something feel moist in your mouth. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Be the science as it may, adding a little bit of liquid to the foil before resting a brisket, or butts, for that matter, is what lots of folks do.

I remember my cousin in San Antonio telling me that all a little water is ALWAYS added to the foil for resting briskets, and I read about folks suggesting it all the time. It's one of those things that has become tradition, I guess. Does it make an undercooked or overcooked brisket moist? No, I don't think so, either, but maybe it speeds up what'll happen when holding hot meat wrapped in foil: the softening of tough, hard bark areas that might've cooked a little too fast. What say you?

Anyway, hope somebody doesn't read your post and just sprinkle more kosher all over the brisket before wrapping. lol....

Love how you describe the stages of the meat....right on!
 
The point of "resting" meats after cooking regards the concept of allowing the juices to redistribute. Cutting a steak immediately off the grill will result in a pool of juices on the plate. The same steak after resting a few minutes will retain much more of the juices.
Now, if you rest a done brisket in a liquid bath, it does seem to allow the meat to rehydrate and absorb moisture. Hundreds, and I mean literally hundreds of KCBS competition cook teams do it this way. Maybe they are right...maybe they are wrong. But...works for me!
 
dave:

i really like your straight ahead approach too the Brisket. i am doing one on smoke day and have been racking mmy brain over the past year bout 2 basic topics. turning the brisket and mopping it. i read Stubbs book he never turned it but cooked fatside up, he also mopped the meat a lot, then i read Kirk and he talked bout turning the meat at one half intervals. i really think fatside down and no turning makes perfect sense in the WSM, and i dont see the need for continual mopping.. maybe u could give a little feedback as too why u think this is the way too go.. thanks alot and cya on smoke day!!!!

Glenn in SC
 
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